Roofing and siding sheets and the like and fastening means therefor

ABSTRACT

A ROOFING SHEET HAVING WIDE-BASED RIBS, A LATERAL MALE RIB HAVING MEANS FOR INTERLOCKING WITH AN OVERLYING LATERAL FEMALE RIB OF A NEIGHBOURING SHEET, THE MALE RIB HAVING A FIXING CHANNEL FOR SECURING THE RIB TO A STRUCTURAL MEMBER. THERE ARE ALSO DESCRIBED CLIPS TO ACT AS CONCEALED FIXINGS FOR INTERMEDIATE WIDEBASED RIBS, THE CLIPS HAVING MEANS TO ENGAGE AN INTERNAL POCKET OR POCKETS IN THE RIB.

p 21, 1971 w. COOKSON ROOFING AND SIDING SHEETS AND THE LIKE AND FASTENING MEANS THEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. '17, 1969 Sept. 21, 1971 w. COOKSON ROOFING AND SIDING SHEETS AND THE LIKE AND FASTENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 17, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 21,1971 w, CQQKSQN 3,606,720

ROOFING AND SIDING SHEETS AND THE LIKE AND FASTENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 17, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 21, 1971 w, cooksou 3,606,720

ROOFING AND SIDING sHEETs AND THE LIKE AND FASTENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 17, 1969 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent 01 hce 3,606,720 Patented Sept. 21, 1971 U.S. Cl. 52-714 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roofing sheet having wide-based ribs, a lateral male rib having means for interlocking with an overlying lateral female rib of a neighbouring sheet, the male rib having a fixing channel for securing the rib to a structural member. There are also described clips to act as concealed fixings for intermediate widebased ribs, the clips having means to engage an internal pocket or pockets in the rib.

This invention relates to roofing and siding sheets and the like and fastening means, especially concealed fastening means for securing them to structural members.

Difiiculties have been experienced in designing satisfactory means of securing ribbed sheets of light gauge material to structural members without perforating the sheets. This has particularly applied to sheets having the ribs which may be described as wide-based, that is to say, having side walls which make angles below about 45 with the plane of the sheet because these shapes are unable to accept and retain spring action locking means to securely fasten the ribs to the structural members. Various forms of spring action fastening means have been proposed to secure the overlapping ribs of adjacent sheets along their length and also to secure ribs to structural members. Such fastening means have often led to failure of the fixings through wind suction loading because the wind can lift the sheets sufficiently to spring off the fastening means, the sheets as a consequence being sucked off the building.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved means for securing together overlapping ribs of adjacent roofing or siding sheets and to provide means for positively securing the ribs together. It is another object to provide the underlying, male, rib with a fixing channel by means of which the male rib may be secured to a structural member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastening clip for internally securing a member having a hollow section e.g. a ribbed sheet, to a structural member. In one type of clip rotatable latching means are provided for engaging in a pocket in the hollow section. In another type of clip, side walls of the clip are designed for insertion into pockets in two walls of the hollow section. It is another object to provide locking means in both types of clip to hold the clip in place when engaging the pocket or pockets.

Further objects are to provide assemblies of sheets, assemblies of members having a hollow section and clips and roofing and siding sheets and clips.

In this specification the members having a hollow section include but are not limited to roofing, siding and other cladding members, panels and sheets, including e.g. fascias, and securing, covering and edging strips or units for building and like purposes. For brevity member having a hollow section may be referred to as hollow member.

The term roofing and siding sheet (or roofing or siding sheet) includes roofing, siding and other cladding sheets.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a roofing or siding sheet having at one edge a male rib and at the opposite edge of female rib, the female rib having a free outer wall provided with latching means and an inner wall provided with a pocket, the female rib being adapted to overlie and engage the male rib of a neighbouring like sheet, the male rib including a fixing channel portion, engagement means to engage latching means on an outer wall of the female rib of a neighbouring like sheet and latching means to engage into a pocket on an inner wall of such female rib so that when such female rib is pressed down over the male rib its latching means engage over the engagement means of the male rib and its pocket interlocks with the latching means on the male rib. By neighbouring like sheet there is intended a sheet having at least a male rib or a female rib (as appropriate) similar to the male or female rib of the first mentioned sheet.

There is also provided an assembly comprising a number of like sheets as above set out locked together by interengagement of the respective male and female ribs.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a fastening clip for internally securing a member having a hollow section provided with a pocket, e.g. a roofing or siding sheet having a hollow rib with an internal pocket, the clip having means for securing it to a structural member and comprising a base Wall and a semi-resilient wall above it, the base wall having camming and locking means (which may be combined) upstanding therefrom, and the semi-resilient wall being provided with latching means which are rotatable, e.g. by swivelling or bending, and which are originally positioned above the camming means of the base wall, downward pressure on the hollow member causing the semi-resilient wall of the clip to approach the base wall, in the process the camming means acting on the latching means and rotating them into the pocket and the locking means then locking together the semi-resilient wall of the base wall and preventing the latching means from leaving the pocket. The clip may include second latching means spaced from the first said latching means for engagement with another pocket provided in the hollow section.

According to another aspect there is provided an assembly comprising a member having a hollow section provided with a pocket in combination with fastening clip as above set forth. There is further provided a roofing or siding sheet having male and female ribs as above set out having a hollow intermediate rib the edges with at least one pocket adapted to be secured by a fastening clip as hereinbefore or hereinafter disclosed and still further an assembly comprising such sheet and fastening clip. Still further the invention provides a fastening clip as above provided for securing a roofing or siding sheet having a hollow rib, the clip having an extension to provide a combined fastening clip and strap, the strap having on its end opposite to that of the clip means for locating and securing it to the underneath of another rib of the same or a neighbouring sheet. By use of such a combined clip and strap, the clip may be accurately located for engagement by a hollow rib before the rib is moved into place and without the need to adjust the position of the clip during engagement by the rib.

According to a further aspect, there is provided a fastening clip for securing to a structural member a member having a hollow section provided with spaced pockets, the clip having a base wall with side walls for insertion into the pockets, camming means secured to the base wall being rotatable with respect thereto to bear on the base of the hollow section to force the side walls of the clip into secure locking engagement with the pockets. The hollow member may, e.g. be a roofing or siding sheet with a hollow rib having side walls with pockets, the

camming means bearing on the underside of the rib. The base wall of the clip may be extended to provide a fixing plate for securing the clip to a structural member, the fixing plate being rotatable with respect to the base wall and having camming means so that when the plate is rotated out of the rib the camming means bears on the underside of the rib forcing the side walls into secure locking engagement with the pockets. There is also provided an assembly comprising a member having a hollow section provided with spaced pockets in combination with a fastening clip as above described, in particular a roofing or siding sheet with a hollow rib having two side walls with a pocket provided at the base of both side walls which sheet may be a sheet as first above provided with an intermediate rib engageable by the fastening clip.

The fastening clips may be assembled in the ribs of a roofing sheet in the factory without the clips interfering with the nesting together of the sheets for transport purposes. Subsequently the camming means are operated, e.g. the fixing plates as above mentioned are bent downwardly from the sheets on the roof of a building and secured to purlins. In this manner, roofing sheets with assembled clips obviate the transport costs incurred when transporting clips as a separate item and they also save assembly time on the roof.

Various forms of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a part perspective view of a roofing sheet assembly;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the male and female ribs of a sheet before assembly;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the male and female rib after assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred form of rib clip and fastening strap;

FIG. 5 is a part perspective view of the fastening strap secured to a sheet and purlin with the rib clip in the non operative position;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the rib and rib clip before assembly;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the rib and clip after assembly;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged part and view of the rotatable device shown in FIG. 5 after assembly;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another form of rib clip;

FIG. 10 is a part perspective view of a rib of a sheet with assembled rib clip;

FIG. 11 is a view, broken for clarity, of the rib and clip shown in FIG. 10 fixed to a wood purlin; and

FIG. 12. is a view, broken for clarity, of the rib shown in FIG. 11 fixed to a steel purlin.

In FIG. 1 a roofing sheet 10 is made from sheet metal, plastics, or other suitable material. It comprises a male rib 12, a female rib 14 and an intermediate rib 16, all being wide-based ribs as above defined. Male rib 12 has combined with it a fixing channel 18. A neighbouring sheet 10" is shown with its male rib 12' which is similar to rib 12 interlocked with female rib 14 of sheet 10. Screws or nails through fixing channels 18 secure the sheets 12 and 12' to wood purlin 22, see also FIG. 2.

Details of the assembly of the intermediate rib 16 with a purlin clip are shown in FIGS. 7, l1 and 12 subsequently described.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 male rib 12 comprises slanting walls 24 and 32, an inner wall 26, a base wall 28, and an outer wall 30, slanting wall 32 being in the form of an outwardly directed flange 32 with a stiffening bead 34. Walls 26, 28 and 30 provide the fixing channel 18. Flange 32 at the free edge of the sheet with its stiffening head 34 comprise latching means 36. At the base of the slanting wall 24 is formed an internal pocket, which affords outwardly a bead 38, and an external pocket 40. Bead 38 and pocket 40 provide engagement means. Female rib 14 comprises an inner slanting wall 42, a top wall 44 and a semi-resilient outer wall 46, having a lip 48 in the form of an inwardly turning hook providing latching means 50. At the base of slanting wall 42 is provided an internal pocket 52.

Intermediate rib 16 in FIGS. 1, 6, 7 and 10 comprises, as indicated in FIG. 1, two slanting walls 54 and 56 and a top wall 58. In the base of slanting walls 54 and 56 are provided identical pockets 60, 62. Sheet 12 is an example of a member having a hollow section (the hollow rib 16) provided with a pocket (e.g. the pocket 62).

In FIGS. 4 and 5 a rib clip 64 is made of sheet metal or other suitable material; this type of concealed fixing clip is suitable for fixing roofing and siding sheets to structural members or to flat surfaces where there is no access to the fixings behind the sheets. Clip 64 comprises a base wall 66 and an overlapping semi-resilient wall 68 inclined at an angle to the base wall (FIG. 4 shows the walls widely angled for clarity). Base wall 66 has provided on one end a hemmed nailing flange 70 and combined locking and camming means 72 comprising a strip bent upwardly from the base wall and comprising a vertical wall 74, a slanting portion 76, a top wall 78 and a springy free wall 80 which has a free edge or lip 82 (see FIGS. 4 and 8). Semi-resilient wall 68 has provided on one end seating means 84, comprising a reversibly bent wall 86, and a slanting wall 88. Provided on wall 88 is a downwardly directed flange 90 which provides a first hinge part 92 to bear downwardly onto the surface of wall 68 and to assist in the rotation of first latching means 94 subsequently described. Wall 68 immediately behind flange 90 has a three-sided slot 96 and an upturned flange 98 which provides a second hinge part 100. (See cut away portion in FIG. 4.) At each end of flange 98 are provided hinge portions 89.

Immediately in front of flange 90 is provided a threesided slot 102 which is formed in a position to pass over the camming and locking means 72 and which provides the material for the first latching means 94. Latching means 94 which are formed integrally with the wall 68 comprise as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 walls 104 and 106 and a latching flange 108. Slot 102 has an edge 103 which provides means for engagement by the lip 82 of locking means 72.

Second latching means in the form of a latching ledge 110 is provided in wall 68 comprising as indicated in FIG. 7 a vertical wall 112, and a top wall 114 formed out of a three-sided slot 116.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 an extension portion of wall 68 provides a locating and fixing strap 118 on the end of which is provided locating means 120 comprising a slanting wall 122 of double metal thickness, base wall 124 and slanting wall 126 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5). Semi-resilient wall 68 with its extension portion is preferably secured to base wall by an eyelet device 128 or by riveting or spot welding. Eyelet device 128 also provides a fixing hole 130 for a nail or screw, similar holes 132 and 134 being provided in nailing flange 70 and base wall 124 respectively and providing means for securing the clip 64 to a structural member.

To assemble the roofing sheets 10 and 10' to purlin 22 as shown in FIG. 1 the fixing channel of sheet 10" (or, in another example, the fixing channel of a part sheet) is first screwed or nailed to the purlin. The procedure for securing the rib clip is omitted at this stage for clarity. Female rib 14 is next downwardly pressed onto male rib 12' (see FIG. 2) until lip 48 of female rib 14 latches over bead 38 and into external pocket 40. At the same time pocket 52 of female rib 14 rides down over flange 32 of latching means 36 and the flange springs into pocket 52 as shown in FIG. 3. In this manner the female and male ribs are securely locked together and cannot part through wind suction loading on the surface of the sheet.

In FIG. is shown the method of securing an intermediate rib to a purlin. The end portion of a sheet has the locating means 120 of fixing strap 118 (shown by dotted lines) inserted under fixing channel 18 of male rib 12' and the rib and strap are secured by a nail or screw 136 to the purlin. Similarly nails or screws 138 and 140 secure the strap and base wall through holes 132 and 130. The female rib 14 of the next sheet 10 is then clipped onto male rib 1 2 as previously explained. Intermediate rib 16 is thus positioned over rib clip 64 as shown in FIG. 6, with a portion 142 of the sheet seated on seating means 84 and wall 104 of latching means 94 seated on slanting wall 76 of the combined camming and locking means 72. Intermediate rib 16 is next pressed downwardly onto rib clip 64 causing semi-resilient wall 68 to approach base wall 66 and slanting wall 76 to bear on wall 104 to rotate latching means 94 about hinge portions 89 which bend until latching flange 108 latches into pocket 62 of rib 16. At the same time, semi-springy wall 80 of locking means 72 is sprung inwardly of locking means 72 as edge 103 of slot 96 bears against it until walls 66 and 68 are closed together when lip 82 springs through the slot and locates over the surface of wall 68. In this manner (see FIGS. 7 and 8) walls '66 and 68 are fastened together with locking means 72 holding securely latching means 94 in engagement with pocket 62 of the rib. The latching means are additionally secured by upturned flange 98 beneath the hinge part 92 of flange 90 (see FIG. 8).

The rib is simultaneously secured to the rib clip by flange 114 of latching ledge 110 which snaps over edge 146 of pocket 60 and into said pocket thereby engaging the edge 14 6.

Provision of the fixing strap 118 with its locating means 120 enables the rib clip 64 to be positioned correctly to receive the rib 16 before the sheet 10 is brought into place. The length of the strap is such that the first and second latching means of the clip will be at the desired distance from the male rib 12' of the neighbouring sheet (and hence the desired distance from the interengaging female rib 14) to locate correctly in the pockets '62, 60 of the intermediate rib 16. The correct positioning of a concealed fastening clip when there is no access or insufficient access to it when the sheet is being brought into place has proved a difficult problem to overcome but the clip as shown in FIG. 4 provides an answer to the difficulty.

In FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 is shown another form of fixing clip 148 for securing sheet 10 to a purlin or other structural member. Clip 148 is made of sheet metal or other suitable material and it comprises a base wall 150 and two inclined semi-springy side walls 152. Base wall 150 has an extension comprising a wall with overlapping and folded down side portions 158 comprising a fixing plate 160. One end of the fixing plate 160 has a lip 162 and the other end has camming means 164 comprising a tongue 166, overlying the base wall 150. One end 168 of base wall 150 provides a hinge line 170 (shown dotted in FIG. 9). Fixing holes 172 and 174 are provided in the fixing plate 160. In the wall 150 are positioned two internal stiffening beads 176.

Rib clip 148 has its side walls 152 made at a slightly more open angle to each other and to the base wall 150 than the angle of the side walls of the intermediate rib 16 to each other and to the top wall of the rib so that when the rib clip 148 is inserted into the pockets 60 and 62 at one end of rib 16 there is sufficient spring tension of the walls of the clip against the rib walls to prevent too easy sliding movement of the Clip in the rib. Roofing sheet 10 may have a plurality of ribs in each of which are carried a number of rib clips at such positions that they may be secured to purlins on the roof. Sheets are packed together for transport in the usual manner as the inserted clips do not interfere with the nesting of the ribs together.

On the roof of a building the sheets are assembled on the purlins as previously explained and fixing plate of each rib clip 148 is bent downwardly at hinge line by grasping and pulling down the lip 162. In the process the camming means 164 rotates upwardly and bears tightly on the underside of the top wall of the rib 16 so causing the side walls 152 to move down further into pockets 60 and 62 of rib 16, thus becoming securely engaged and locked in the pockets. Thus rib clip 148 cannot rattle in rib 16 when sheet 10 is subjected to wind loading. The locking between the clip and the rib, however, is not made so tight as to prevent a limited amount of sliding of the clip in the rib when the rib is subjected to thermal movement.

In FIG. 11 rib clip 148 is shown secured by a nail 178 through hole 174 in fixing plate 160, to a wood purlin 180. The concealed fastening of the clip in the rib provides a leak proof connection with an unmarred outer surface of the rib, a particularly valuable feature when sheets are made from pre-painted materials. The predrilled hole 174 provides a much quicker fastening method than when holes have to be punched through the top of the rib as in conventional methods of fixing roofing sheets and damage which can arise from such processes is completely eliminated.

InFIG. 12, the fastening clip 148 locked in rib 16 is shown secured ,to a metal purlin 182. A standard hook bolt 184 has its hook 186 inserted into the hole 172 of rib clip 148 and its threaded end 188 is fitted with a nut 190 to secure an attachment clip 192 to purlin 180, thus holding the purlin and rib clip in secure contact.

In this manner the rib clip can be used either for bolting it to steel or nailing it to wood structures to provide a positive fixing of the roofing sheet to the building.

It will be understood that the invention may be applied to many forms of securing devices for sheets and panels, particularly in the building industry as the external appearance of the securing device is not confined to any particular cross sectional shape. The invention may be used, for example, for securing panelling to walls of a building and/or covering the edges of such panelling. A rib section similar to rib 16 and constituting a member having a hollow section as above referred to may thus be used as a covering and/or securing piece. It may be made from sheet metal, or plastics and may be used to securely fasten the edges of panels to a building by use in conjunction with the rib section of a clip having rotating latching and camming means similar to those above described. The edge or edges of one or more panels may be engaged and covered by the rib section as it is engaged by the rib clip which is first secured to the building adjacent the edge or edges of the panel or panels. The rib section may be made of heavy gauge material such as an aluminium extrusion or other sections made of solid material, as well as from sheet material.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastening clip for internally securing a member having a hollow section provided with a pocket, the clip having means for securing it to a structural member and comprising a base wall and a semi-resilient wall above it, the base Wall having camming and locking means upstanding therefrom, and the semi-resilient wall being provided with latching means which are rotatable and which are originally positioned above the camming means of the base wall, downward pressure on the hollow member causing the semi-resilient wall of the cli to approach the base wall, in the process the camming means acting on the latching means and rotating them into the pocket and the locking means then locking together the semi-resilient wall and the base wall and preventing the latching means from leaving the pocket.

2. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the latching means are formed integrally with the semi-resilient wall and bend with respect thereto as pressure is applied to them by the camming means.

3. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the hollow member to be secured is in the form of a roofing or siding sheet having a hollow rib with an internal pocket for engagement by the latching means, the clip having an extension provided with means for locating the clip with respect to another rib of the sheet or of a neighbouring sheet.

4. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the said latching means comprise first latching means, the clip including second latching means spaced from the first latching means for engagement with another pocket provided in the hollow section.

5. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the semi-resilient wall has seating means engageable by a part of the hollow member so that it is urged downwardly as the hollow member is pressed downwardly onto the clip.

6. A clip according to claim 1 wherein combined camming and locking means comprise a strip bent upwardly from the base wall having a slanting portion to engage the latching means and a free edge to spring over an edge of a slot in the semi-resilient wall as the slot passes over the camming and locking means to lock the semi-resilient wall to the base wall.

7. A fastening clip for securing to a structural member a member having a hollow section, the hollow section having a base wall and two opposed side walls having pockets opening in the direction of the base wall, the clip comprising a base wall to lie adjacent the base wall of the hollow section and connected thereto two spaced side walls, edge portions of the side walls being adapted for insertion into the pockets of the side walls of the hollow section, camming means secured to the base wall being rotatable with respect thereto to bear on the base of the hollow section to force the edge portions of the side walls of the clip into secure locking engagement with the pockets.

8. A concealed fastening clip for securing a hollow rib of a roofing or siding sheet to a structural member,

the rib having a top wall and two spaced side walls having pockets opening towards the top wall, the cli comprising a base wall and a pair of spaced side wall connected thereto, edge portions of the side walls being adapted for insertion into the pockets in the side walls of the rib, camming means secured to the base wall of the clip being rotatable with respect thereto to bear on the underside of the top wall of the rib forcing the edge portions of the side walls of the clip into secure locking engagement with the pockets.

9. A clip according to claim 8 wherein the base wall of the clip is extended to provide a fixing plate for securing the cli to a structural member, said camming means being integral with the fixing plate, the fixing plate and camrning means being hingeable With respect to the base wall so that the camming means can rotate as aforesaid to bear on the underside of the top wall of the rib while an end of the fixing plate rotates out of the rib thereby exposing means at said end for securing the fixing plate to a structural member.

10. A clip according to claim 9 wherein the walls of the clip are resilient and can be bent toward each other upon insertion in the rib.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,770,063 7/1930 Bloss 287-18935 FOREIGN PATENTS 270,612 1964 Australia 287189.35

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,606,720 Dated September 2l 1971 Inventor WILLIAM CQOKSON It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, lines M and 5, the name of the assignor should read Cookson Sheet Metal Developments Limited Column 3, line &3, change "and" to end Column 8, line 3, change wall"(second occurrence) to walls Signed and sealed this 2nd day of May 1 972.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer ORM PO 1050 (1C 1 USCOMM-DC scan-Pea 

